For an increasing number of electronic devices, a particular data item, such as a data file or an audio and/or video recording, may be found and selected by way of a search mechanism, by which the user begins entering via a user interface of the device an identifier for the item, such as a file name, a title, or the like. As the user enters each character of the identifier, each of the items accessible via the electronic device that conforms to the characters that have been input remain available, with other items being removed from view. For example, if a user attempting to access one of a number of movies by way of the device has entered the letters “b”, “a”, and “c”, in order into a search menu, movie titles such as “Back to the Future” and “Backdraft” would remain accessible to the user, but others, such as “Battle of the Bulge” and “Babes in Toyland”, would be removed. Subsequently entering a “k” followed by a “d” would then remove “Back to the Future” from the display, leaving “Backdraft” and any other entries beginning with the first five letters “backd” available for access. Typically, at any point during the data entry phase, the user may select one of the remaining items featured on the display by selecting the entry directly, such as by way of a cursor or other data selection means.
To allow the user to enter alphanumeric characters during this filtering or searching process, the device may provide a keyboard-like interface in which a collection or array of characters is presented, wherein any one or more of the characters may be selected or activated by the user. However, given the number of characters that may be used in an identifier, often including any of twenty-six letters, ten digits, and several special-purpose characters, selecting or activating each desired character in the proper order may present a challenge for the user. This difficulty may be further exacerbated by the physical nature of the user interface being employed. For example, the selection area for each character may be small, and the selection areas may be positioned in close proximity to each other, making user selection of any specific character somewhat difficult.